The Government of Québec launched the Pierre-Laporte Bridge project to provide more traffic lanes across the St. Lawrence River. Work began in June 1966, while Highway 20, linking Québec City to Montréal, was also under construction. The province’s transportation habits were about to change quite radically.

1968 - 2015

The Pierre-Laporte Bridge, a feat of Quebec engineering

As automobiles became widespread in the 1950s and 1960s, the Quebec Bridge reached capacity. In June 1966, construction began on a second road link between Québec City and Lévis, 200 metres from the Quebec Bridge. It would connect several highways. Originally intended to be called the Frontenac Bridge, it was renamed before its inauguration in November 1970 as a tribute to Pierre Laporte, a minister in the Bourassa Administration who died during the October Crisis. It is considered the longest main span on a suspension bridge in Canada. Today, 120,000 vehicles cross it every day.

An era of major construction projects

Auteur inconnu The Government of Québec launched the Pierre-Laporte Bridge project to provide more traffic lanes across the St. Lawrence River. Work began in June 1966, while Highway 20, linking Québec City to Montréal, was also under construction. The province’s transportation habits were about to change quite radically.

Chronoscope Can you locate the bridge site on the map? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1970

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